It seems as if online dating sites are almost everywhere you turn when you are surfing the Internet these days, so what is all this about? Many people are turning to online dating as a starting point to actually meet someone who shares their interests, no matter what those interests are. Online dating has actually proven to be a major benefit to those looking for a compatible partner with interests similar to their own, and is much better than spending time in a bar, in the library, and other “chance” places to meet someone.

But like anything else, there are a number of misconceptions about online dating services. Much of this is simply “logical assumption” on the part of people who do not understand online dating, but it is important to dispel these myths so that you can reap the many benefits of an online dating service and find which one is best for you.

Myth #1: You will not find love online.

This myth was obviously starting by someone who either never tried any online dating service or perhaps joined the wrong service. The facts and statistics about online dating blow this untruth out of the water. Some of the online dating services are free, but to a large extent, you get what you pay for, and for those unwilling to invest a little bit into finding the perfect partner are not serious about finding one.

Myth #2: Online dating is not safe.

Totally wrong. Online dating is as safe as you make it. You obviously need to use caution when you are entering data into your profile. Never use your home address, your home phone number, your cell phone number, or anything else that could be used to specifically identify and find you by someone with negative intentions. You can provide that information to someone that you have exchanged email with and gotten to know a little bit, starting with providing a cell phone number, and perhaps not even providing your home address until you have actually MET that person by mutual agreement in a public place like a restaurant. The safety factor of online dating is entirely in your hands, since nobody is forcing you to reveal personally-identifying information about yourself.

Myth #3: Online dating is only for computer nerds.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Of course, there are computer nerds and geeks doing online dating, just as there are other computer nerds looking for someone with similar interests. But the majority of people using online dating are non-geeks; rather, they are from almost every walk of life, from engineers to lawyers to doctors to sales managers to everything else. They are looking for that perfect partner and have decided to use online dating and the power of the Internet in their search.

Online dating services are valuable for people looking for someone who shares their interests and viewpoints. And online dating services are not just for the 20-something boy looking for a 20-something girl. Rather, online dating services are also catering to people across the board, including senior online dating, Christian online dating, Jewish online dating, gay and lesbian online dating, and more. Find the right online dating service for your search requirements and see what happens.

Online dating is a new way to find friends or perhaps to find your special someone. Online dating is increasingly in huge demand and is relatively inexpensive. While there are many free chat rooms and online personal ad sites, you may want to invest in paying a small fee to find people who are more serious about meeting a quality partner. Online dating is becoming very popular as is a great way to contact and make new friends.

The Dating Challenge

Dating is a challenge at any age and for both women and men. Online dating is a reasonably safe way to overcome this common problem. Dating in the online scene isn’t restricted just to teenagers and young adults. People of all ages are now becoming regular visitors to online dating sites. Dating can be stressful and nerve wracking for people of all ages and the stress of rejection often does not disappear with maturity.

Dating Online

Online dating has become a very safe and accepted way to meet people and is popular for this reason. Online dating has only really taken off in the last few years, and the fact is that it is radically different from the traditional dating methods we are all used to. Online dating has helped many, many people find love all over the world as the previous physical barrier of distance and location has been removed by the internet. Online dating allows singles to learn important pieces of personal information about a potential partner before ever meeting them in person. By reading online dating profiles you quickly sift through a large number of potential partners and weed out the undesirables quickly and efficiently.

Online Dating Profiles

Whether you’re creating your online profile, or scanning through those of others, online dating is a tricky business at best. Profiles are provided on each member and most of the time a picture is included. Profiles with pictures are more than twice as likely to receive attention than profiles without pictures. Photos are often an important component of online dating profiles as physical appearance is important to most members. Tip: if someone posted a short profile and clearly put no thought into it, you can expect that kind of communication in real life.

Online dating is a high tech and modern way to date, but it brings back some old school elements because the relationships do not always advance so quickly. Online dating is especially convenient if you are uneasy about approaching members of the opposite gender in traditional meeting places such as bars and clubs, or if you have had bad experiences with these types of dating. An Internet survey showed that most single fathers agree that online dating is a safer and easier method for meeting other singles. 75 percent of respondents said that online dating is the easiest way for single parents to meet other single parents. 67 percent said that online dating is a safer way to date than other more conventional methods as you can study the profile of the person before arranging to meet them in person.

Never before has hooking up with someone been easier and we have free online dating sites on the internet to thank for this. Apart from the relative convenience (no need to dress up when you’re behind your computer right?), dating services online also pave the way for ‘dating without borders’. Indeed, just a couple of years ago it was almost impossible to even meet people in different countries let alone date them.

Unfortunately though, such flexibility also renders itself to abuse. That’s why it’s extremely important to subscribe only with reputable online dating sites. Now, many argue that the only way to stay safe while using dating services online is to go for paid online dating sites. Well here’s an online dating tip for you – there are plenty of free online dating portals that offer just the same quality in service and security.

A Look at Today’s Top Free Online Dating Sites

Free Online Dating Site OKCupid

Just the site name alone brings up an image of two people finding each other and falling in love right? Not sure where to begin? Follow the site’s online dating advice and take the Dating Persona test. After the quiz, you are classified into one of 32 dating types. Not only is the quiz fun to take but imagine just how much time you’ll save by identifying your dating type and hooking up with someone that is mathematically predicted to be compatible to yours! And this is really the feature that sets OKCupid as a free online dating site apart: it makes use of 55 different measures (and counting!) to pat down your personality trait and thus offer a more suitable match!

Other quizzes offered by this free online dating services provider is the User-Written Tests (quizzes contributed by OKCupid subscribers) and the Staff Tests (quizzes made by ‘Harvard grad’ staffers).

The Privacy Policy of OKCupid is standard enough and it DOES say that your information may be shared with third parties with whom it is connected but then again which free online dating services provider does not do that? Besides, it’s up to YOU to keep your true identity secure. Here’s a very important online dating rule – never subscribe to free online dating sites using your real name, and true and complete address!

Free Online Dating Site Plenty of Fish

If OKCupid provides an image of two people who belong together, Plenty of Fish (POF) tells you “hey, if at first you don’t succeed with this online dating thing, try and try again!”

POF is reputed to be the biggest free dating services online provider because it’s perceived as an online dating site that ‘cares’. The site is created by Marcus Friend with the vision of providing singles all they ever need in an online dating site FOR FREE so that they are not preyed upon by “faceless corporate dating sites”. Subscribers love the features of POF which include an instant messaging tool, compatibility quizzes, a hot or not photo rating system, and highly-attended forums. In fact, POF’s forums are sort of like the online version of Dear Abby as users get to post dating and relationship problems and seek advice from others. POF’s community is also something to be proud of; the site is maintained by many volunteers and those who are active in the forums form “meet & greets” that are open to anyone who wishes to attend. POF definitely shouts “cool” as far as free online dating sites are concerned.

Free Online Dating Site MatchDoctor

MatchDoctor prides itself in combining the features of a free online dating site and a social networking site. Just looking at the site and you immediately feel that it’s a ‘community’.

On the online dating front, it enables subscribers to view other’s profiles and contact those they fancy and to help you with your possible new romance, the site offers plenty of helpful articles and tips covering everything from online dating security to relationship advice.

On the social networking front, MatchDoctor enables subscribers to set up their own blogs when they subscribe, upload photos and videos (think YouTube!), chat with others via the site’s instant messaging tool, and participate in any of the on-going online forums.

As you can see, free online dating is not equal to poor service and security. Just be picky with the dating services online providers you hook up with and you’ll have just as much fun… and chances at meeting your new romance.